HOLIDAY-MAKERS from York and North Yorkshire are grabbing their Stetsons and heading to the Big Country to cash in on the dwindling dollar.

Travel agents in the area say they have seen a significant increase in bookings for American destinations during the first two months of the year, which is when 50 per cent of holidays are booked.

The increase is down to the booming pound, which means travellers can make their cash go much further.

Regional manager for Thomas Cook in North Yorkshire John McMahon said Florida had moved from 16th place to the second most popular destination.

He said: "Florida is booming this year thanks to the dollar exchange rate.

"Because the dollar is so low, people see that they will have much more to spend in Florida, so it's an ideal time to go.

"Many of the Caribbean islands use dollars as currency too, so it's a great time to head to say Cuba or the Dominican Republic."

Eric Walton, who owns Acomb Travel, said the US, particularly Florida, was proving a popular destination, as was Australia.

He said: "Florida is a very popular as it is such a great destination. It has everything, with theme parks, beaches and the climate. It is also great value at the moment. We have certainly had more people than normal booking for the US.

"This year, we have had quite a lot of bookings to Australia. It has had quite a high profile over the last few years, with the Olympics and the rugby world cup"

Sarah Coxon, from Ryedale Travel, said more people were choosing the option of a short breaks to US destinations such as New York.

She said: "We are also booking long weekends in New York and holidays to Florida. You get a good exchange rate now, meaning that you can buy more.

"Europe is popular as always, and there has been a lot of interest in non-euro countries such as Turkey."

Updated: 09:04 Saturday, February 21, 2004